Sale summary: 42 bulls sold; top price $19,000; average price $9500; 100pc clearance.
"Very satisfying" is how Marellan Shorthorns stud principal Lincoln Job described the 100 per cent clearance and hefty $9500 average price paid at their annual on-property sale on Monday.
Saying repeatedly that his main aim was to breed industry-relevant cattle, having all 42 bulls offered find homes, none of them for exorbitant prices that locked potential buyers out, was a really good result for Mr Job.
He markets his bulls as "bred for Bos indicus cows" and breeders of those were who were filling the unique haybale seats around the selling ring.
One of them, the Appleton Cattle Co from Islay Plains at Alpha, was both the volume buyer and the purchaser of the top priced bull.
The well-known repeat buyer, Fred Appleton took until lot five to make his first purchase, paying the sale top price of $19,000 for Marellan Velocity (P).
At 27 months the dark roan bull weighed 756kg, had an eye muscle area of 123 square centimetres, and semen morphology of 93 per cent.
According to the catalogue the son of Kamilaroi Fusion (P) was in the top 10pc of the breed for weaning weight, the top 15pc for yearling weight, and top 20pc for maternal weaning weight.
The Appletons then went on to buy the following lot, Marellan Very Cool (P), 26 months, for $17,000.
Homozygous polled and described as a real Shorthorn roan, he weighed 730kg, had an EMA of 125sq cm, and semen morphology of 93pc.
They then bought five of the younger 18 to 19-month-old bulls for between $4000 and $10,000 before closing out their purchases with 22-month-old Marellan Uncle Elvin (P) for $14,000.
"We come to this sale every year," Mr Appleton said. "They're the go-to bulls for me, in central Queensland."
Another of the repeat buyers was WH Kettle and Co from Capella, who paid the second top price of $18,000 for Marellan Very Impressive (P).
Sired by Nunyara Superman L191 (P) from Warraberry Princess Margie M198 (P), he was one of the many homozygous polled bulls offered at the sale and tipped the scales at 810kg at 27 months.
The Kettles, working with John Illot, bought five bulls in all, and Bill Kettle said the progeny of their Marellan bulls finished really well in their Carramah feedlot and had a beautiful temperament that was right through the progeny.
"The only way to describe Marellan Very Impressive is as a top Marellan sire - he had plenty of bone and softness and a fantastic temperament," Mr Kettle said. "He and the others are bred for our sort of country."
The Jobs were pleased to welcome new purchasers along to the sale this year as well, among them Ashton Trading from Illamahta Station, Mt Coolon, paying a top price of $17,000, and Sam Bradford, Arcturus Downs, Springsure.
Saying he had always kept an eye on Mr Job's cattle, which he regarded as high quality, Mr Bradford said he wanted the bulls for an outcross for his Droughtmaster dominant herd.
"We've been straight Droughtmaster for some years now and I think the Marellan bulls will thicken them up a little," he said. "Our families knew each other in NSW and I think my grandfather would be very happy to know I'd bought Shorthorn bulls."
The Bradfords bought eight bulls in all for their herd that they breed for the grassfed Jap Ox market, and paid a top price of $10,000.
The Springdale Land and Cattle Co, Aramac, bought four bulls for a top price of $16,000 and an average of $12,000.
- Selling agents - Hoch and Wilkinson, AuctionsPlus